I-League: Churchill host Gokulam, Sreenidi meet Sudeva Delhi

It promises to be an exciting day in the league on Sunday.

Defending champions Gokulam Kerala have seen hat-trick dreams rapidly moving away from them because of inconsistency. They have won only two of their last five Hero I-League 2022-23 matches and have dropped to the fourth spot on the table with 27 points from 17 matches.

Even in the last match against Rajasthan United, who are fighting to stay out of the relegation zone, Francesc Bonet’s men were trailing till the 90th minute. Sergio Mendigutxia got his scoring form back in the nick of time. Otherwise they could have been in an even worse position ahead of the clash against Churchill Brothers here at Tilak Maidan on Sunday.

However, there is still time to attain their best form and garner as many points as possible. A win on Sunday would take Gokulam to third spot. Then, if other results go their way, the dream could still come true. Same is the case of hosts Churchill Brothers. They are just a point behind Gokulam and they would be third, too, if they beat the guests from Kerala. Nobody can say if the eight-point gap that will still separate them from league leaders, is bridgeable. But one can only think about what is in their own hands.

Bonet’s assistant Anthony Andrews said on Saturday, “The mood is very positive in the camp because we got a good result in the last match and we’ll take our chances here.” Even though Churchill have not been a strong home side this season,” Andrews said, “They are a good side, and we’ll have to be at our best from the very first minute.”

Bonet will be missing from the bench because of the red card he received in the dying moments against TRAU, but Andrews did not think that would be much of an issue. “Our players are professional, and they know what needs to be done. So, the coach’s absence is not going to hold us back,” he remarked.

While the pulsating victory in their last match can give Gokulam a lot of confidence, Churchill’s 3-2 loss to TRAU may have had the exact opposite effect on the Red Machines. More because it came against a team they had beaten 6-1 in the first leg. That is something coach Mateus Costa will have to guard against.

Gokulam are the team that has conceded the least number of goals in this edition of Hero I-League (12) and have the most clean sheets (9). On the other hand, Churchill have scored a lot of goals (28). Only joint leaders Sreenidi Deccan (34) have scored more than them. So the contest between Bouba Aminou-led Gokulam defence and Abdoulaye Sane, Bayi Kamo, Emmanuel Yaghr’s attack could decide the outcome.

On Saturday, Costa drew inspiration from theLea fact that his side had lost by a solitary goal when they played in the first leg. “We only had some defensive lapses, otherwise we had played well. So, we’ll have to take care that we don’t repeat our mistakes,” he commented.

The match will be telecast live on Eurosport, DD Sports and Discovery Plus OTT platform from 5.30pm.

League Leaders Sreenidi Deccan take on bottom-placed Sudeva Delhi

The Hero I-League title race is heating up with every passing round, and with just five games to go, current table-toppers Sreenidi Deccan cannot afford any slip-ups. On Sunday, February 19, 2023, it’s top versus bottom as the Deccan Warriors host Sudeva Delhi at the Deccan Arena, with the kick-off slated for 3 pm IST.

Sreenidi Deccan and Sudeva Delhi are separated by 28 points on the table, which may make it seem like this contest is no match on paper. However, if there’s one thing this season has highlighted is that anybody can beat anybody. Sreenidi themselves have lost three of their four matches against teams in the bottom four.

At home, though, the Deccan Warriors are on a five-game winning streak, beating Rajasthan United 2-0 last time out. Addressing the media at the pre-match press conference, head coach Carlos Vaz Pinto said, “It is always important to win as it gives you confidence, but most importantly the three points. Tomorrow, we have to write another chapter in our history and get three more.”

Sudeva Delhi might be at the rock bottom with just nine points in 16 games, but Sankarlal Chakraborty’s men have proved to be a tough nut to crack in recent games. They head into this game on the back of a morale-boosting 3-1 victory away to Mumbai Kenkre. Earlier this month, Sudeva also held Sreenidi’s title-rivals RoundGlass Punjab to a 1-1 draw in Delhi.

Talking about their opponents from the capital, Pinto said, “A win in their last game gave them confidence, they are motivated. We know they have got new changes, they are not the same side that we played last time but we know their style of play and their players. We respect them but at the same time we will play our game.”

His counterpart Chakraborty also spoke about the changes in the Sudeva team since he took charge of the club in December. He said, “First of all, it was important for the youth players in the club to understand the quality of the I-League. We made some changes to our plans and strategies. Slowly, we started playing well and soon the results started coming our way. However, our focus right now is to become even stronger.”

On the Sreenidi challenge, Chakraborty said, “It will be difficult to go up against the leaders but we are not afraid. We are playing better, but there is room for improvement. Tomorrow, we will give our best.”

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and join our community on Telegram.The match between Sreenidi Deccan and Sudeva Delhi will be broadcasted live on Eurosport and Doordarshan Sports and streamed live on the Discovery Plus OTT platform at 3 pm IST.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and join our community on Telegram.